Wrapping machine



1929- E. L. SMITH ET AL WRAPPING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 5, 1929. E. L. SMITH ET AL 1,734,921

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1926 4 Sheets$heet 2 gnwntoc M 9" War/6 atl'oruc I Nov. 5, 1929.

E. L. SMITH ET AL WRAPPING MACHINE Filed April 29. 1926 4 heets-Sheet 3 1929- E. L. SMITH ET AL ,9

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE ELMER L. SMITH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, AND HORACE J. IPAYNTER, 01' SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO PACKAGE MACHINERY COMPANY, 01 SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS WB-AIPING MACHINE Original application filed August 31, 1921, Serial No. 497,311. Divided and thll application filed April 29, 1926. Serial No. 105,453.

This application relates to improvements in wrapping machines and is a division of our pending application Serial No. 497,311, filed August 31, 1921.

The invention, as shown and described in the form at present preferred, is directed to the wrapping of blocks of plastic material, such as cakes of yeast, but is adapted for general use.

The wrapping of yeast cakes is preferably performed with a waterproof material such as foil, and in consequence one object of the invention is the provision of wrapping devices as will properly handle a wrapper of a delicate nature such as tin foil or the like- The feeding and wrapping of a material such as yeast requires special treatment to prevent crumbling or destruction of the cakes or blocks and the present mechanism is designed particularly with the object in view of avoiding unnecessary stresses upon the material such as friction or pressure would create.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the scope of the invention will be defined in the appended claims.

- In the drawings which show a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine embodying the features ofour inven tion;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section elevational view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary elevation al views of certain parts of the mechanism for inserting an article and a wrapper in a pocket of the wheel 5 Fig. 8 is a plan view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4; a

Fig. 9 is an elevational view taken on the line 9-4) of Fig. 4; and

Figs. 10 to 14. inclusive, are perspective views showing the wrapper and articles in the various steps of the wrapping operation.

The wrapping machine of the invention now to be described may be used for wrapping articles of any form, but is particularly adapted for use in connection with cakes of yeast which are formed into units of certain size and delivered to the wrapping mechanism by connection with a belt 19 for delivering an article to the machine for the wrapping operation.

A shaft 25 (see Figs. 2 and 3) is connected by the gears 25 to the driving shaft 95 which carries driving pulleys 96 or this shaft may be directly connected to a motor or the like. Means are provided to engage opposite sides of the end of the block, or article being cut therefrom during the cutting operation and to transfer the formed article from the belt to the wrapping mechanism hereinafter described. This mechanism is arranged to advance with the article in unison with the traveling belt during the cutting operation and functions to hold the article being formed by the cutter during its, operation and prevents the displacement or disalinement thereof with respect to other units of the machine. This mechanism will also engage articles placed on the belt without regard to the cuttin mechanism.

ripping members 76 fixed upon vertically disposed swinging shafts 77 are provided with article-engaging surfaces 78 best shown in Fig. 4 and are preferably of a shape and size as to lie flush with the vertical forward edges, and the upper and lower ed es at each side of the article for the purpose ater to be described. The shafts 77 carrying the grip pers 78 are provided at their lower ends with gear segments 79, whereby a uniform relative movement of the grippers toward or away from the article is assured, and a tension spring 80 connects the arms to force them toward one another for the gripping action.

The reciprocating travel of the grippers so as to advance with the article is accomplished by the mechanism shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. A fore and aft slide 86 is reciprocably mounted by a dove tail 87 at one side thereof to the bracket 16, and the gripper shafts 77, before mentioned, are pivotally mounted in suitable bearings carried in said slide 86. A connecting rod 88 connects the slide 86 to the operating lever 89 that is pivoted to the bed 1 at 90. A cam 91 fixed to and driven by the shaft 93 is provided with a suitable cam groove 92 that receives a cam roll 94 of the lever 89, whereby the lever is swung to reciprocate theslide in its proper timed relation.

The grippers 78 are clamped upon the article during the advancing and cutting operation but are caused to release the article after the article has been conveyed by them to the wrapping mechanism, also they are held in open position during their return movement to their article-engaging position. This is accomplished by a transversely reciprocating slide 81 carried in the bracket 16' to the forward end of which is secured a longitudinally extending U-shaped track or guide 82. An arm 83 carried by one of the gearsegments 7 9 has a roll in operable engagement with the guide 82, whereby a reciprocation of the slide 81 and guide 82 swings the arm and results in an opening movement of the grippers. A cam 84 fixed upon the operating shaft 25 is provided with a suitable cam groove (not shown) in which is carried a cam roll 85 of the slide 81 (see Fig. 2). This cam is preferably adapted to reciprocate the slide 81 and guide 82 in a timed relation with the cutter and other units of the machine, whereby the grippers are allowed to close upon the article by the action of the spring 80 and are opened by the lever 83.

The wrapping mechanism will now be described. A shaft 93 is carried by the frames 31 and 32 and is driven by means of a gear 93 fixed thereto which is in meshing engagement with a driving pinion 94 of the main shaft 95. A gear 97 carried by the shaft 93 is in meshing engagement with a gear 98 on a. shaft 70, whereby the said shaft receives a continuous motion. A Geneva driver 99 is carried by the shaft 70 and actuates a Geneva wheel 99' fixed to a hollow shaft 100 for delivering to the shaft 100 an intermittent motion in the usual manner. A tumble-box or pocketed Wheel 101 is fixed to the hollow shaft 100 and is provided at its periphery with recesses or pockets 101' which are open at the ends whereby said pockets are adapted to receive an article and a wrapper folded about three sides of said article.

Wrappers for the article are preferably cut from a continuous strip of wrapping material by mechanism now to be described. A frame 102 supports on its upper end an arbor 103 on which may be mounted the usual roll W of wrapping material. Feed rolls 104 and 105 are rotatably carried by the frame 102 and are adapted to unwind a proper length of wrapping material during each cycle of operation of the machine. A sprocket 106 is over which the wrapping material is fed.

Shears 112 are pivotally supported by a lug 113 of the frame 31 and are operated to cut a proper length of wrapping material from the strip as it is fed t-herepast. The shears 112 are operated by a link 113, lever 114 pivoted at 114 and cam 115 fixed to the shaft 25.

lVrapper nippers to position and deliver the severed wrap ers to their position in the path of an article and between the same and the pocket 101' of the wheel 100 will now be described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3. A nipper frame 121 having a rigid jaw 122 is fixed to the upper end of a reciprocable slide 123. A movable jaw 124 having a resilient wrapper gripping plate 125 is pivotally connected by a link 126 to the link 127 which is preferably provided with a roll as shown. The links are arranged in the form of a toggle, whereby a swinging movement of the link 127 in one direction will hold the movable member 125 against the rigid member 122 while a movement in the opposite direction will cause the members to separate to release a wrapper held therebetween.

The slide 123 carrying. the nipper is arranged to move from an upper position where an end of the wrapping material is gripped by the nippers to a lower position whereby a length of material for one wrapper has been advanced to a position adjacent a pocket 101' of the. wheel 101. The slide 123 is slidably guided for its vertical movement in spaced parallel guides 129 carried on a rocking frame 128 the latter being pivoted freely on shaft 136. A spring 142 is connected between said frame 128 and the main frame tending to rock said frame to the left viewing Fig. 3. A tail portion 200 at the lower end of said'frame 128 is forked over a rod 201 having adjustable stop nuts 202 at its outer end to limit the rocking movement of said frame under the tendency of said spring. An operating lever 130 pivoted at 130' is connected by a. link 131 to the slide 123 and has a cam roll 132 engaging a cam groove (not shown) of the cam 133 whereby an oscillation of the lever 130 will reciprocate the slide 123 vertically in a timed relation with the other units of the machine.

A vertical channel member 134 is fixed to a rocking lever 135 pivoted to the frame 16 at 136 and said channel member serves to engage the cam roll of the nipper link 127 during its vertical travel, and as the lever 135 and channel 134 are oscillated moves the link 127 to open or close the nipper jaws 122 and 125. The lever 135 is oscillated by a cam fork 137 pivotally connected thereto at 138. The cam fork 137 is in sliding engagement with a block 139 loosely mounted upon the shaft 25 and has a roll 140 in operable engagement with a cam groove 141 in one face of the cam 133. The lever 135' carries a pin 203 adapted to abut an adjustable stud screw 204 carried on the frame 128 so that the swinging movement of said lever 135 to the right viewing Fig. 3 will also swing the rocking frame 128 against the tension of the spring 142. By the arrangement above described, the nippers comprising the jaws 122 and 125 are caused to travel vertically downward when in closed position to carry the wrapper w in front of the article to be wrapped. The parts of the machine are so timed that the article grippers 78 are in the act of carrying the article against the wrapper and into the pocket of the wrapping wheel before the wrapper nip ers again reach.

their upper position. There ore, the nippers 122, 125 and nipper frame 123 are carried outwardly during the upward travel thereof so as to avoid interference with the grippers 78, which is effected by the outward swing of the frame 128 in which the nipper frame is slidably mounted. It will be observed that the swinging lever 135 which carries the channel 134 to open the nippers likewise effects the swinging of the frame 128 after said nippers are opened.

Each article a supported by the belt 19 is successively carried by the grippers 7 8 from the belt 19 against a wrapper and into a pocket 101 of the wrapping wheel which operation causes the wrapper to be folded about the three sides of the article a as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 7. Inasmuch as the forward, the upper and the lower edges of the grippers 78 lie flush with the adjacent edges of the article, the wrapper is in effect engaged and folded by the metal surfaces of the grippers 78 coacting with the walls of the pocket 101' and thus avoids the chance of mutilating the soft plastic material of the article during this part of the folding operation.

Wrapper clamps 144 (see Fig. 4) located on both sides of the wrapping wheel 101 are supported upon the rods 145 fixed to an oscillating shaft 146. A lever 147 fixed to the shaft 146 is moved in an upward position by the tension spring 148 whereby a severed wrapper is held in its position between the clamps 144 and plate 149 after the same has been moved therebetween after the cuttin operation. The clamps 144 are also arranged to yieldingly press the positioned wrapper against the forward edges of the grippers 7 8 in the manner shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 8 when the article is being transferred with its wrapper by said grippers into the folding pocket 101. A cam 150 fixed on the end of the shaft 93 engages a roll 151 upon the end of the lever 147, and is preferably so formed to cause the clamps to be swung away from the article and wrapper when they have been delivered into the wrapping wheel.

After the article a and wrapper to have been transferred into the pocket 101 of the wrapping wheel, a side folder 153 is operated to fold down one fiap b of the wrapper as shown in F i 6. This side folder 153 is fixed to a sha t 154 pivoted in the outer end of an oscillating lever 154 fixed to a shaft 155 that is rotatably carried in the hollow shaft 100. The shaft 155 is oscillated to operate the folder in its proper timed relation by a lever 156 fixed thereto that has a roll engaging with a cam groove (not shown) in a face of the gear 98 (see Fig. 2). The movement of the folding lever v153 in folding or wiping down the flap b of the wrapper is controlled by special connections so that the folding edge 153 of said lever 153 will tend in a downward movement to describe a convexly curved path and thus clear the upper corner of the article a in the pocket 101 and press by yielding contact the wrapper down upon the article. The wrapping wheel in its further advance provides a clearance for the return of said folder 153 to its initial position for folding the next wrapper. These special connections (see Fig. 6) comprise a link 300 pivotedion a stud 301 fixed to the main frame. A rod 302 has a pin and slot connection at one end with the link 300 and is firmly fixed at its other end to shaft 154. A spring 303 connects folding lever 153 to the lever 154 and acts to yieldingly press the folder against the wrapper and article during the folding operation.

Upon completion of the folding action of folder 153, the wrapping wheel is given a partial rotation to bring a succeeding pocket 101 in position for receiving the next article and wrapper and during this partial revolution of the wheel 100 a stationary folder 152 acts to fold the flap d of the wrapper down upon the side of the article a so as to overlap the flap I) (see Fig. 6). The folding blade 152 is preferably formed as a forward extension of a brush frame 152 which is fixed to the frame of the machine and is disposed oircumferentially of the wrapping wheel 100 as shown in Fig. 1. While we have shown a brush for acting on the wrapper as the wheel is rotated, it will be obvious that we inlay use in place thereof a circularly formed p ate.

When the wrapping wheel has been intermittently operated to bring its pocket and the partially wrapped article a to the lower side of the wheel end tucks e of the wrapper at each end of the article are effected as shown in Fig. 13. These end tucks are made by vertically moving end folders 160 one at each side of the wrapping wheel which are carried on rods 161 fixed to an oscillating shaft 163 (see Fig. 1). The shaft 168 is oscillated in proper timed relation by an eccentric 164 mounted on the shaft 93, which eccentric has an arm 164 ivotally connected to an arm 165 fixed to the shaft 163.

Immediately after the end tucks e are efiected, and before the end folders are completely withdrawn, the first corner tucks f (see Fig. 14) are made at each end of the article by movable tucker blades 157 (see Fig. 1). The tucker blades 157 are mounted one at each side of the wrapping Wheel, upon arms 158 which are in turn carried upon a compound reciprocating and oscillating frame 159 operated from an eccentric 159' mounted on the shaft 93. The frame 159 is formed with a slotted bearing 158 to travel on a block 350 pivoted on the main frame at 351 whereby said frame 159 receives from its eccentric 159 a compound oscillatory and reciprocatory movement. This movement of the frame 159 carries the tucker blades 157- in an elliptical path across the ends of the article to withdraw the same downwardly clear of the wrapping wheel at the finish of said folding operation.

Mounted at each side of the wrapping wheel in a fixed position on the frame are slotted folding horns 167 having corner tuckers 167 extending therefrom to a point adjacent the end folders 160 (see Fig. 1). As the wrapping wheel carries the article a from its lowermost position and after the tucks 0 and f have been effected, and preferably before the tucker blades 157 have left contact with the ends of the article, the corners 9 (see Fig. 14) of the wrapper are engaged by the corner tuckers 167' and tucked against each end of the article. The continued travel of the article a and its wrapper eventually brings last remaining flaps z of the wrapper into the slots 168 of the folding horns which gradually fold down said flaps 2' upon the ends of the article. The wrapper is thus completely folded about the article and in the further travel of the wrapper wheel, labels or other devices may be applied to the wrapped article by any suitable mechanism (not shown).

When the article reaches the uppermost position on the wheel, it registers with an ejection chute 181 (see Fig. 2) into which it is ejected transversely from the wrapping wheel on to a table 182 by an ejector 175 reciprocally guided on a support 176. The ejector 175 is operated from a link 180 connected to a lever 179 pivoted at 179' and operated by its cam roll 250 working in a groove of the cam 178 fixed to the shaft 25.

A brush 166 mounted in the frame 152' is disposed circumferentially of the wrapping wheel and, as shown, extends preferably from apoint adjacent the position of the receiving pocket to a point adjacent the position of the ejecting pocket. This brush functions to hold the articles being wrapped against displacement in their respective pockets during a rotation of the wheels without exerting undue pressure thereon.

The operation of the machine and the func tion of lts various parts may be briefly described as follows. The belt 19 serves as a moving support for advancing the articles and might be dispensed with in the case of less plastic material than yeast which could perhaps be pushed along a stationary table without disintegration by friction.

Assuming the machine is primed for starting operation by articles being placed on the belt 19 in front of the mechanism for feeding them into the wrapping wheel. As the articles arrive between the grippers 7 8 they are embraced thereby and carried in forward into a pocket of the wheel.

Previous to the gripping and transfer of the article a by the grippers 78 a wrapper w has been positioned in front of a pocket 101' of the wrapping wheel by the nippers 122, 125 of the wrapper advancing means as previously described, and the wrapper w is securely held in this position by being clamped between the plate 149 and yielding clamps 144 ready for engagement by the forward edges of the grippers 7 8 as described. The grippers 78 carry the article with its wrapper into the pocket 101' of the wrapping wheel as shown in Fig. 9, said grippers acting to push back the yielding clamps 144 in the manner shown. During this transfer of the article by the grippers into the pocket, the wrapper w is folded by the pocket and the engaging edges of the grippers so as to lie about three sldes of the article.

After the article and wrapper are received in the pocket, the clamps 144 are swung back by the mechanism described and the wrapping wheel 100 begins its step by step rotation to carry the article past the various folding devices for completely wrapping the article as has been described. The fully Wrapped article is finally ejected from the top of the wrapping wheel by the ejector 175 on to the table 182.

While we have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention in the form of particular mechanism designed to carry out the purposes and objects of the invention, yet it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details shown, but is defined as to scope in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, wrapping mechanism comprising a folding recess for receiving an article and a wrapper, means for positioning a wrapper, a support for articles to be wrapped and article grippers for yieldingly embracing opposite ends of an article and for transferring an article and wrapper from said support into said pocket, said article grippers presenting edges in contact with said Wrapper as it is carried into said pocket and means for pressing a wrapper against said article grippers as a wrapper and article are transferred into said pocket.

2. In a machine of the class described, wrapping mechanism comprising a folding recess for receiving an article and a wrapper, folded about three sides of said article, means for positioning a wrapper, a support for articles to be wrapped and article grippers for yieldingly embracing opposite ends of an article and for transferring an article and Wrapper from said support into said pocket, said article grippers presenting edges in contact with said wrapper adjacent three sides of said article as it is carried into said pocket and means for pressing a wrapper against said article grippers as a wrapper and article are transferred into said pocket.

3. In a machine of the class described, wrapping mechanism comprising a folding recess for receiving an article and a wrapper, means for positioning a wrapper, a support for articles to be wrapped and article grippers for transferring an article and wrapper from said support into said pocket, said article grippers presenting edges in contact with said wrapper as it is carried into said pocket, and clamps arranged to press said wrapper with yielding pressure against said grippers during the transfer of said article and wrapper into said pocket.

4. In a machine of the class described, wrapping mechanism comprising a folding recess for receiving an article and wrapper, means for positioning a wrapper, a support for articles to be wrapped, means for transferring an article from said support into said pocket, comprising a pair of grippers arranged to engage the articles at each side thereof, and a reciprocating carrier for said grippers.

5. In a machine of the class described, wrapping mechanism comprising a folding recess for receiving an article and wrapper, means for positioning a wrapper, a support .for articles to be wrapped, means for transferring an article from said support into said pocket, comprising a pair of grippers arranged to engage the article at each side thereof, a reciprocating carrier for said grippers, and yielding clamp members against which said wrapper is pressed by said grippers during the transfer of said article and wrapper into said pocket.

6. In a machine of the class described, wrapping mechanism comprising a folding recess for receiving an article and a Wrapper, a guide for guiding a wrapper over said folding recess, a reciprocable nipper for engaging a wrapper and feeding the same along said guide, and means for moving said nipper back and forth in different paths during its reciprocating movements.

7. In a machine of the class described, wrapping mechanism comprising a folding recess for receiving an article and a wrapper, a guide for guiding a wrapper over said folding recess, a member movable towards and away from said recess, a wrapper nipper reciprocable on said member for feeding a wrapper along said guide.

8. In a machine of the class described, wrapper mechanism comprising a folding recess for receiving an article and a wrapper, a guide for guiding a wrapper across the mouth of said recess, a nipper reciprocable to feed a wrapper along said guide and movable transversely thereto so as to reciprocate out of the path of said wrapper during its nonfeeding movements.

9. In a machine of the class described comprising in combination, a folding recess for receiving an article and a wrapper about.

three sides thereof, the ends extending out wardly from said recess at the top and bottom of said article, a folder movable past said recess adapted to lay one of said extensions against said article, said folder being arranged to describe a concavely curved path as it moves past said recess.

10. In a machine of the class described comprising in combination, a folding recess for receiving an article and a wrapper folded about three sides of an article leaving wrapper extensions at the forward face of said article at the top and bottom of said article, a member having a folder pivoted thereto operable to move said folder past said recess, and connections between said member and folder adapted to move the folder relative to said member so that it will describe a concavely curved path with respect to the face of the article as it is moved past said recess.

11. In a machine of the class described, wrapping mechanism comprising a folding recess for receiving a distortable article and a wrapper, a pair of grippers shaped to conform to and coextensive with the end areas of the article, means for presenting across the folding recess a wrapper of a width greater than that of the article, and means for advancing the grippers into the folding recess to conform the wrapper to three sides of the article and grippers, the grippers acting during such movement to relieve the article from distorting strains caused by folding of the wrapper.

12. In a machine of the class described, wrapping mechanism comprising a folding recess for receiving a distortable article and a wrapper, a pair of article grippers shaped to conform to and coextensive with the end areas of the article, means for presenting an article to be grasped between the grippers,

means for presenting across the folding recess a wrapper of a width greater than the article, and means for advancing the grip pers into the folding recess to conform the wrapper to three sides of the article while relieving the article from distorting strains caused by folding of the wrapper.

13. In a machine of the class described, wrapping mechanism comprising a folding recess, article grippers of the same profile as and coextensive with the ends of the article, and means for imparting a to and fro movement to the grippers into and out of the recess with the grippers in contact with and completely protecting the article against deformation during the motion into the recess, and out of contact with the article during the reverse movement.

14. A folder for wiping a portion of a wrapper across the face of an article comprising an arm, means for rocking the arm,

a folder pivoted to the arm, an oscillatable lever of shorter eifective radius than the arm, and a connection between the folder and the lever causing the folder to partake of the motions of both the arm and lever and to describe a path convex towards the axis of the arm.

In testimony whereof we have afiixed our signatures.

ELMEB L. SMITH. HORACE J. PAYNTER. 4 

